They were said to have been introduced to Mr Yakovenko by Alexander Udod - one of 23 suspected Russian intelligence officers subsequently ejected from the UK after the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury.

The ambassador was said to have proposed a business deal that would have involved them in the consolidation into one company of six Russian goldmines.

Mr Banks, 52, also revealed that he gave telephone numbers of the US President’s transition team to the Russians.

Members of Mr Trump’s campaign team are currently being probed over collusion with Moscow.

Theresa May warns Boris Johnson she has 'strong views on Brexit' after explosive leaked recordings

The news comes as the American leader has repeated calls for Russia to be brought back into the G7 arrangement - a move that was rejected by Theresa May.

Asked about the report at the G7 summit in Quebec, Mrs May said: "I am sure that if there are any allegations that need investigation the proper authorities will do that."

The e-mails were originally obtained by political journalist Isabel Oakeshott’ who was the ghostwriter of Mr Banks’ book The Bad Boys of Brexit.

The paper said she came forward after she said her email accounts were "hacked".

Dear Starmer

BERCOW BOOTED?

Speaker John Bercow's local Tory association begins search to replace him

But he dismissed the claims in today’s paper, saying: "I had two boozy lunches with the Russian ambassador and another cup of tea with him. Bite me. It's a convenient political witch-hunt, both over Brexit and Trump."

Mr Banks, whose wife is Russian, acknowledged he had made a "family trip" to Moscow in February 2016, but said "no meetings were had with anyone", and said he had also disclosed details of his contacts with the Russians to US officials.

Mr Wigmore told the paper: "We never offered any information to him (Mr Yakovenko) or any Russian any details of our (Brexit) campaign."